LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i softball team (16-15, 8-4 Big West) showed plenty of fight on the road, taking an early lead before falling 9-5 to No. 10 UCLA at Easton Stadium on Thursday afternoon. The Rainbow Wahine held a 3-1 lead through the first couple of innings and kept fighting until the final out as UH threatened to score in the seventh with the bases loaded and one out. But a game-ending double play thwarted the Rainbow rally.
UH wasted no time setting the tone in the first inning. After
Maycen Gibbs singled and
Jamie McGaughey drew a walk,
Milan Ah Yat loaded the bases with a single to short.
Bailey Nagasako then came through with a clutch RBI single to center, driving in Gibbs for the 1–0 lead.
UCLA knotted the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first on an RBI-ground out by Jordan Woolery that scored Rylee Slimp.
The 'Bows retook the lead scoring two more runs in the second. Following a sacrifice bunt by
Nevaeh Telles, Gibbs drove in a run with an RBI-groundout to second to score pinch-runner
Kennedy Thompson. UH starting pitcher Millie Fidge then battled at the plate for an 11-pitch at bat that ended with her drilling an RBI-single up the middle to drive home Telles to extend UH's lead to 3-1.
UCLA erupted for three runs in the third and four more in the fourth to take an 8-3 lead into the fifth. The Bruins scoring outburst was highlighted in the fourth by a solo home run by Jazmine Leyva and a three run bomb by Woolery.
But the Rainbow Wahine kept fighting. In the sixth, pinch-hitter
Briana Maio-Silva blasted a solo home run into the trees beyond the rightfield fence to trail 8-4.
With one out in the seventh, Hawai'i batters drew three-straight walks to load the bases. UCLA then walked pinch-hitter
Teiah Keliiholokai to force
Rhea Furtado across the plate. With the bases still loaded, the Bruins' shortstop ended the rally and the game with an an unassisted groundout double play.
UH starter Fidge took the loss, dropping her record to 1-2 overall. She threw the first three innings, allowing four runs on two hits with three walks. Rookie reliever Maryn MacNeil threw the final three innings, allowing five runs on four hits with four walks.
UCLA's Sydney Somerndike earned the win in relief to improve to 5-0. She threw the final 4.1 innings allowing two runs on just one hit with four walks and two strikeouts.Starter Brynne Nelly did not figure in the decision, throwing the first 2.2 innings. She allowed three runs on four hits with four walks and a strikeout.
The Rainbow Wahine have a quick turnaround as they take on league-leader UC Santa Barbara (21-16, 11-1 BW) for a three-game conference series beginning with a single game on Friday, April 3rd at 9:00 a.m. HT. Saturday's doubleheader on April 4th will also begin at 9:00 a.m. HT with the second game to follow. All games will be played at the Campus Diamond in Santa Barbara, Calif..
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